Too optimistic? No thanks. Yes, surely you also thought that being optimistic in life is essential. But it is one thing to have a positive view of the world and quite another to have a distorted view of reality or lead to self-deception. Today we will talk about something that has crossed the fine line of positive optimism and that vision of false happiness that can lead to disappointment, exaggerated optimism.

If you also want to know what exactly that exaggerated optimism is , keep reading the article and pay close attention.

Excess of optimism

We will begin by clarifying what exactly optimism and pessimism are. Optimism is the widespread belief that we have the means to solve our problems, whatever they may be. An optimistic person thinks that things are going to turn out well , this leads the person to do things with courage. Pessimism, on the contrary, is the belief that we do not have within our reach the means to solve the problems that occur. A pessimistic person thinks that things will go wrong whatever you do, this leads to the person not trying to perform an action because ‘it is not worth the effort’.

These two questions are beliefs, that is, they do not correspond to the facts themselves , but to the way in which we face those facts. This means that it is not automatic that optimistic people are optimistic because they are doing well in life, or that pessimists have that vision because only misfortunes happen to them. An optimist , for example, if he fails an exam, he will think that it is due to his mistake that he can modify. A pessimist, if in the same circumstances also fails an exam, will think that it is due to various factors and that it is not in his power to modify them. A person with an excess of optimism if he fails an exam will think that he will pass it at some point, but will not try to find out where the problem comes fromHe will simply think that everything will be solved and he will continue with his life.

An example, if you are a lover of the American series ‘Friends’ , surely you remember that Phoebe flirt called Parker. Yes, the one that came out in the eighth season, specifically, in chapter 18. Parker was a man characterized by being a born optimist , so much so that he came to annoy and seem false. Parker thought everything was fantastically great, even the smallest trifle in our beloved Phoebe’s apartment, everything was really fine. Well, that is the exaggerated optimism , the denial that there are things that are not right in this world.

Exaggerated optimism can make us see reality distorted . It is not something positive, on the contrary it can lead directly to pessimism. Unhappiness and exaggerated optimism can go hand in hand.

Exaggerated optimism in young people

Exaggerated optimism causes you to lock yourself in your false beliefs that everything is positive, when it really is not. This trend is gaining more and more strength , especially among the youngest.

The problem arises from social media . These show you the beautiful side of life that, on the one hand, is very good, but it is an idealized image , distorted of reality.

Teens tend to believe that those lives of full happiness that influencers reflect is reality. That there is no effort behind it, that things are easily achieved, and that if they follow that model of life they will never be sad . An example of this would be the typical motivational phrases that we easily see on mugs, notebooks or any object intended for young audiences, those of the type ‘you can do everything’ .

These beliefs, in addition to being erroneous and confusing the youngest, are also harmful. Exaggerated optimism ends up leading to significant frustration. This is because positive psychology finds success in appealing to narcissism and the infantile omnipotence of ‘I can handle everything’ that appeal to the importance and power of each. Any adult person would know that life does not always grant you what you want, and that we will have to be realistic to know where our goals lie.

Exaggerated optimism can lead you to not really see what is behind the ‘set’. But if you take off the ‘glasses of full optimism’ , only then will you be able to know where you are or what is really happening.

Attitudes a true optimist

The true optimist is often referred to as a realist . Although the word realistic may not have had too good connotations, since it is thought that it is a person who does not have dreams or beliefs, it is quite the opposite. The realistic person is optimistic , but he also knows what he has to do to achieve what he sets out to do.

Therefore, a true optimist usually shares three attitudes : they have a commitment to a cause or task, they have a strong sense of control in the face of adversity and they see problems as challenges, that is, as the opportunity to show that they are truly committed to your ideal.